Edwin cowles



March 4, 1930. E, COWLES 1,749,323

PUMP

Filed Oct. 14. 1927 [lll/1111111111 www:

. @glabtowe Patented 4, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWIN COWLES, OF SHORT HILLS, JERSEY, ASYSIGNOR T0 COWLES ENGINEERING CORPORATION, OF SEWAREN, NEW JERSEY, .A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY- PUMP .Application led October 14, 1927. Serial sNo. 226,098.'

This invention relates to pumps which are used to pump Huid in which may be entrained ibrous materialsuch as lint, for example.

It has been found that ifV fibrous material is permitted to pass through a pump, the strands sometimes collect on the impeller in suiiicient quantity to interfere seriously with the proper functioning of the pump. It is an object of the' present invention to provide means to cooperate with the impeller in such manner as'to free the same of any fibers which may collect thereon.

Other objects and advantages of the 4invention will appear hereinafter.

A preferred embodiment of the invention selected for purposes of illustration is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a vertical section on the line 1-1 of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section on. the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 isa side elevation of the impeller.'

Referring tol the drawings, a pump of the centrifugal type has been selected to illustrate the invention, in which the casing 1 is provided with an inlet opening 2 and an outlet or discharge opening 3. Mounted for rotation within the said casing 1 is an impeller 4wheel 4 having blades 5 therein.

In using this type of pump for pumping fluid in which fibrous materials are entrained, as, Vfor example, in pumping liquid to produce agitation in fabric washing) machines, it is found that the loose fi rous strands which are entrained in theliquid tend to collect on the impeller, and particularly on the forward ends 6 of the blades in such manner that a wad of bers sometimes collects which interferes with the proper operation of the pump.

According to the present lnventlon 1t 1s proposed to provide means which shall frictionally engage such brous materials so as to cut or wipe them from the polnts where they are lodged. In the preferred embodlment illustrated the said means comprlses a wire 7 which may be secured at one end to the inside of the intake passage, and which may extend upwardly so that its free end 8 extends into the area within which the iuid i to provide a knife edge, although for most purposes a round wire such as disclosed in the drawings is suiiicient.

In operation, the impeller 4 is driven through the shaft 4 in the usual manner to cause fluid to be forced out through the discharge opening 3 and drawn in through intake opening 2. Any fibrous material which is entrained in the uid which tends to engage the impeller blades is immediately engaged by the wire 7 and either pulled loose or cut away thereby. In certain instances the material may be merely wiped ofi: by the Wire, or in other cases the strands may actually be severed by the repeated friction of the Wire against the fibrous mass as the impeller rotates. For convenience in descript-ion, both of the foregoing actions are intended to be included within the term cutting as used herein.

It will be understood that the invention maybe variously modied and embodied Within the scope of the subjoined claims'.

I claim as my invention:

l. A pump comprising a casing having inlet and outlet openings,l an impeller, and

resilient means cooperating with said iml peller to rub and cut by abrasive action fibrous material entering the pump through said inlet opening.

2. A pump comprising a casing having inlet and outlet openings, an impeller, and resilient means having an end extending into the area where the Huid passes from said intake into said impeller to rub and cut by abrasive action fibrous material entering the pump through said inlet opening.

-v 3. A pump comprising a casing having inlet andA outlet openings, an impeller, and a. resilient'member having one end secured to said casing [within said inlet opening, and

w having its other end extending into close proximity with said impeller to rub and cut by abrasive action fibrous material entering the pump through said inlet opening.

' In 'testimony whereof, I have signed my name to thisy specification this tenth day of October.

EDWIN COWLES. 

